I think we should take a serious look at the mandatory labeling requirements that are in place in more than 60 other countries. EU labeling rules, for example, require indication of the country of birth, fattening and slaughter.

I am disappointed in today’s ruling and will oppose efforts to fully repeal COOL. There are still several steps in the WTO process that must be met before any retaliation could go into effect so we should take the time to thoughtfully consider how to move forward.

While I co-sponsored H.R. 4413 last Congress, I am unable to support this bill because the facts on the ground, particularly at the Commission, have changed. I don’t believe we need all these extra provisions; we just need a simple reauthorization.

The Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2015 will continue price reporting programs to ensure that producers have access to transparent, accurate and timely market information. The United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2015 will continue the inspections provided by the Federal Grain Inspection Service.

U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committee leadership today called for emergency assistance to be released to poultry and egg producers whose flocks suffered losses due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N2 infections.

Farmers often have a disincentive to donate due to high packing and transportation costs and, if they do have them, agencies have a tough time getting perishable products out before they go bad. Growing the partnership between food banks and farmers could help this.

Consumers have expressed their interest in knowing more about where their food comes from which I think is a good thing. But when it comes to labeling we need to be able to find a smart way to balance this consumer demand with what we know about the safety of the foods that our farmers produce.

This is the Chairman’s first appearance before the Committee but I’ve had the opportunity to meet with him and have been impressed by his commitment to implementing the new regulations called for under Dodd-Frank and being inclusive of all points of view throughout the process.

We were the one Committee that actually stepped up to the plate and reduced the budget deficit. Frankly, I would argue that we have done our part when it comes to deficit reduction.

I remain concerned about attempts to reopen the bill, whether by making changes to crop insurance, SNAP or any other farm bill program. This is a very bad idea and could put everything we worked for in jeopardy. I hope that this Committee will remain united in opposition to additional cuts to farm bill programs. Quite frankly, the Agriculture Committee has done our work.